MARCH 2015 UPDATE BY MATTHEW PAUL

When I think back on the past year and a

half of my life, I can not help but see how

much my life has changed. It seems like

just yesterday, I boarded the plane and

said goodbye to my family and friends and

embarked on this journey. My mind could

never conceive all of the change and new

experiences I would come in contact with

while being in Haiti. Never would I have

imagined that I could find peace and pur-

pose in a place so far from my family.

The Best is Yet to Come

In January of this year, I soon learned that God was getting ready to shake

things up a bit. I had reached a point where I had started to get into a routine

of how things where, when God started to remind me of my hearts desires.

As many know, I have had the amazing opportunity of living off campus with

three of the older boys to teach them how to cook and take care of them-

selves for almost six months now. Living with the boys has had its shares of

difficult teenage moments but it has also been filled with so many God in-

spired moments. One of the boys I live with is amazingly gifted. He can liter-

ally do anything that is put before him. Not only does he know how to play

guitar and sing, he has a heart for worship.

When I first moved to Haiti, I had in my mind an idea of what I thought my life was going to look like. I

came to serve the orphaned. I imagined that the mission field would be filled with heroic moments and

moments of pure exhaustion. I came in thinking I would spend every hour of my day working some kind

of manual labor and have to find time to spend with the kids. While this season has been filled with

work, I now know that I was no where near prepared for all that God had called me to do in Haiti.

I have been called to be a father the fatherless. This epiphany came with many confirmations. From the

first day I walked on the property and I felt the desperate need of a male role model in some of the kids

lives to the late nights sitting with a group of boys as they mourned the recent loss of their mother. Nev-

er in my life have I felt God’s calling and sense of purpose more than I have the past year and a half I

have spent in Haiti.

MARCH 2015 UPDATE

Through living with the boys this past

season, I have felt the Holy Spirit calling me

to go deeper. I was not sure how it was go-

ing to go over but I started spending more

time with the boys one on one and started

to ask the difficult questions. As I started to

go deeper in my relationship with the boys,

a fire was lit deep inside of my heart. This

was why God had called me here. When I

think of the phrase “to be His hands and

feet”, I think about doing the dirty work

that no one else wants to do. It is the late

Love,

night conversations about the difficulties of life and how to pursue God and be a man of integrity. It is in

the corrections that come out of wanting what is best for someone and not allowing them to settle for

second best. This is where my calling is. To walk alongside the people God has put in front of me. To be

an example to the older boys of what it means to follow after God, no matter the costs, and to be a fa-

ther figure to the younger boys and show them the love of the Father.

I have spent a lot of time the past few months praying and asking God for direction on what to do

next. I asked if I should return to the United States to pursue full time ministry or if I should stay in Haiti

and commit to another year of serving this ministry and loving these children. The entire time I was

seeking God, I felt the Holy Spirit pulling on my heart. What was it that brought me joy? That reminded

me of God’s calling on my life? Where did I feel I was supposed to be? After a season of praying and

seeking council, the answer became clear to me one night when I woke up around midnight. I woke to

peace and just heard these words playing over and over in my head “You’re not finished yet!”. It is from

a song that a friend of mine wrote but I instantly knew that this was the answer I was looking for.

I have officially decide to stay in Haiti for another year after my current two year agreement is finished.

I know that I would not have been able to do any of this with out your prayers and support over the past

two years. I would like to ask for your continued supported as I prepare to enter my third year in Haiti. I

am in need of monthly supporters who will agree to support me both in prayer and in finances as I con-

tinue to do what God has called me to here in Haiti. If you are interested in supporting me financially,

please email me at matthewdavidpaul@gmail.com so I can share with you all the information you need

to know on how to support me financially. I ask for your prayers as I continue to walk out in faith this

path that God has placed me on. I truly believe the best is yet to come.

Matthew Paul